This invention relates to inflatable aircraft escape devices. More particularly, this invention relates to a fixture for forming an inflatable aircraft escape slide or combination escape slide/life raft into a compact package of specific dimension and contour.
Inflatable escape slides are installed in virtually all large passenger carrying aircraft to provide rapid evacuation of the passengers and crew during ground emergencies. Such escape slides generally include at least one inflatable member that is deployed between the sill region of an elevated egress door and the surface of the ground or water. The upper surface of the inflatable member is configured to provide a sliding surface upon which the passengers and crew descend to the ground, and, in some cases, the escape slide forms a life raft for use if the aircraft is forced to land in a body of water.
During normal aircraft operation, the deflated escape slide is generally packed in a compact package or container that is mounted either on the inside of the egress door or on the floor in front of the egress door. In most applications, the upper end of the escape slide includes a girt that encompasses a girt bar which is connected to brackets mounted on the floor inside the egress door. In the event of an emergency evacuation, the door is opened and the escape slide is automatically or manually deployed through the open doorway.
One of the problems encountered with inflatable escape slides is the limited dimensions that must be exhibited by the escape slide when packed for stowage. In this respect, the escape slide stowage configuration must be small enough to be reliably deployed through the aircraft door when required. In installations wherein the escape slide is mounted to the interior of the aircraft door, the escape slide stowage configuration must not interfere with operation of the door and, for esthetic reasons, is often covered by a decorative panel that defines a specific stowage volume. In installations in which the escape slide is mounted to the floor of the aircraft, the escape slide stowage pack is generally mounted on a track arrangement or a carriage such that the packed escape slide can be swung in front of the door during aircraft flight and swung away from the door to provide access for normal aircraft entrance and exit procedures. In this case, the stowed escape slide should again occupy minimum space, since the stowage area often cannot be used for other purposes.
To form a conventional escape slide into a suitably sized and contoured stowage pack, the escape slide is generally folded in a sequence which permits reliable automatic inflation and deployment when the slide is utilized. The folded escape slide is then placed in a relatively shallow receptacle commonly called a packboard. A series of fabric panels, attached to the periphery of the packboard, is then laced together with cords so as to contain the folded escape slide between the backboard and the fabric panels. Generally, separate lacing cords are utilized along each of the four boundaries of the package or pack formed by the packboard and escape slide, i.e., the top, bottom and two sides boundaries. The packaged escape slide is then compressed to exhibit the desired contour and volume by pressing on the various surfaces of the packaged assembly and tightening the laces.
Although such a packing procedure is generally adequate, several problems arise. First, the escape slide is generally fabricated of neoprene rubber-coated fabric material that can be punctured or torn and the packaged escape slide includes other hardsurfaced apparatus that can puncture or tear the inflatable member of the escape slide if care is not exercised, both during the preliminary folding operation and the compression of the escape slide pack into its final configuration. For example, conventional escape slides normally include inflation apparatus such as one or more aspirators or turbo fans for inflating the escape slide, at least one compressed gas reservoir for driving such turbo fans, and associated hoses.
Secondly, with the advent of wide-bodied aircraft in which the doors are located a considerable distance above the ground, longer and larger escape slides have become necessary, but the space available for stowage of the escape slide has often not been increased accordingly. Thus, it has become a somewhat difficult task to form the escape slide into the required stowage configuration.
Packing an escape slide is especially difficult in a situation in which the escape slide is of the dual-purpose escape slide/life raft variety. Not only is such an escape slide/life raft generally bulkier than a standard escape slide, but a variety of survival and rescue equipment is normally included in the stowage pack. For example, to facilitate locating the life raft in a large body of water, radio beacons, locator lights and associated batteries and at least one antenna are packed along with the escape slide. To facilitate survival of the raft occupants, equipment and supplies such as hand pumps, knives, heaving lines, sea anchors and a canopy are also generally placed in the escape slide/life raft stowage pack.
Because of these problems, once the folded escape slide and accessories is placed in the packboard, as many as three or four persons are often required to form the stowage pack to the desired configuration and to tighten the lacing. Even utilizing three or four persons, great physical effort is required on the part of the slide packers. Further, because of the difficulties experienced in forcing the escape stowage pack into the desired contour, the packing personnel often resort to striking the slide pack with hard objects or jumping on or kicking the slide pack to obtain the necessary contours. Resorting to such tactics can not only damage the escape slide, but may result in personal injury to the packing personnel.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a mechanism for assisting in the packing of an aircraft escape slide or combined escape slide/life raft.
It is another object of this invention to provide an aircraft escape slide or escape slide/life raft packing fixture that can be operated with relative ease by one or two persons.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a packing fixture for forming the final contours of an aircraft escape slide storage pack with minimal risk of damage to the escape slide.